Is Joe Smith #YQ13 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome Youthquake · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 54× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Joe Smith #YQ13 sells for $103 against $1.90 raw: a $101 spread, 54× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($4.39) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.90
- PSA 10
- $103
- PSA 9
- $4.39
- Gem premium
- 54×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $103 | +$75.60 | +$50.60 | −$49.40 |
| PSA 9 | $4.39 | −$22.51 | −$47.51 | −$148 |
| PSA 8 | $3.25 | −$23.65 | −$48.65 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $1.90 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $28.92 | −$22.98 |
| 50% | $53.45 | +$1.55 |
| 75% | $77.97 | +$26.07 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 48%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $133 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $103 | −$30.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $62.00 | −$71.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $62.00 | −$71.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $103 | $62.00 | $133 | $62.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $5.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $4.39 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $3.25 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 1996 Topps Chrome Youthquake cards worth checking
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Grading Joe Smith #YQ13 — FAQ
Is Joe Smith #YQ13 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Joe Smith #YQ13 sells for $103 against $1.90 raw: a $101 spread, 54× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($4.39) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Joe Smith #YQ13 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Joe Smith #YQ13 (Basketball Cards 1996 Topps Chrome Youthquake) sells for about $103 versus $1.90 for a raw near-mint copy — a 54× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Joe Smith #YQ13?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $133, ahead of PSA 10 at $103. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Joe Smith #YQ13 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading Joe Smith #YQ13 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Smith #YQ13 breaks even when it gems about 48% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $4.39).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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